Tire deflation signal



Sept. 19, 1944. w. WILLIAMS TIRE DEFLATION SIGNAL Filed Aug. 10, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 11 ve'ntor William H ZZZZLQ ms.

3 A tlorneys Sept. 19, 1944.

w. WILLIAMS 2,358,:570

TIRE DEFLATION S IGNAL Filed Aug. 10, 1942 Sheets-Sheet 2- Patented Sept. 19, 1944 "UNITED STATES PATENT) OFFICE 'rnm DEFLAYIION SIGNAL 7 William Williams, Columbus, Ohio Application August 10, 1942, Serial No. 454,289

1 Claim. (01. 177-311 This invention relates to new and useful improvements in signals and more particularly to tire deflation signals.

At present, aviators have no way of detecting whether the tires of their planes have sufficient air pressure to permit a safe landing. An unusually soft tire will obviously cause a drag which may result in an accident, especially if V the other complementary wheel contains a normal pressure.

Therefore, the principal object of the present invention is to provide low pressure detecting means for aircraft pneumatic tires.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a fragmentary frontelevational view of an aeroplane equipped with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan view.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical connection between the electrical devices involved.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that numeral 5 denotes the fuselage of a conventional airplane, while numerals 6, 6 denote the usual wings.- This type of aircraft has pockets 1 in the undersides of its wings for receiving the wheels 8 of retractible landing wheel structures -9. Each of these wheels has a tire H) which nests in the pocket I in the manner shown in Figure 3.

In nesting in these pockets 1, the tires will exert themselves against the feeler l2 of the switch unit l3 of the present invention. This unit l3 comprises a box l4 installed in one side portion of the corresponding pocket I, the feeler I2 operating through a slot [5 in the box swingable on a pin l6 located within the box. This invention in specific terms, it is to be understood v 20.

, and means operative by pressure of the retracted feeler l2 operates against a compression spring l1 and is intended to operate a core or slide l8 operating within a resistance element l9.

As can be seen in Figure 5, each of the resistance elements I9 is connected by a conductor 20 to a corresponding indicating instrument 2|, preferably calibrated in pounds pressure, the remaining sides of the instrument 2| being connected as at 22 with a conductor 23 extending thereof to a battery 24. This battery 24 is, in turn, connected by a jumper 25 to a conductor 26 running between the feelers l2, [2.

Obviously, when a soft tire l0 moves into a pocket I, there is not suflicient bulk to force the slide bore l8 all the way into the resistance l9 and this allows for a drop in the reading of the I corresponding instrument 2|.

A While the foregoing specification sets forth the that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In an aircraft having a wing provided with a pocket therein, and a landing wheel having a pneumatic tire and retractible upwardly into said pocket, an indicating instrument in said aircraft, an electric circuit for operating said instrument,

wheel tire against the same to variably control said circuit comprising a spring-tensioned feeler finger swingably mounted in said wing to project into said pocket and operative in different degree according to different inflation pressures in said tire, and a variable resistance in said wing interposed in the circuit and including a slide operative into diflerent positions by said finger to vary the magnitude of the resistance set up in said circuit in accordance with the degree of operation of said finger, whereby the magnitude of the resistance included in the circult is a function of the tire pressure.

' WILLIAM WILLIAMS. 

